Love Potion 9¾
by Master Tonberi
Summary: Snape's mistake causes him to fall for his assistant. Is love, or just the potion? My first HP fanfic.


1 Love Potion 9¾  
  
By Master Tonberi  
  
Wednesday, November 21, 2001  
  
Author's Note: Only Saffron Cale is my own creation. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's. Forgive my mushy, short romance stories. It was intended to be a bit more. um. adult, but didn't quite get there.  
  
"On second thought, let's not go to Hogwarts. It's a silly place."  
  
  
  
'It's been a long time,' the dark-haired woman who stood at Hogwart's station thought. 'Over ten years now, isn't it? Since my first year.' She smiled and primped her curly hair. It was starting to frizz again, but it always did that in England.  
  
"Miss Cale?" A voice boomed. She jumped at the voice, but turned around with a smile.  
  
"Hagrid!" She cried. "Do you remember me?"  
  
"Remember yeh? Of course I do, Saffron, m'girl!" He laughed as she neared. "Why, feels like it twas only yesterday you were blowin' up cauldrons and catchin' yer robes on fire!" She giggled as they walked.  
  
"Well, I'm much better at it now, thank you. In fact, that's why I'm here. I need to study with Professor Snape again. I'm so sure he'll be happy to see me." Her voice fell just a bit. She remembered that Snape tolerated her in his classes. He was the new Potions professor when she started her last year. He seemed to kind of like her then. She figured it was partially because she was a Slytherin, and partially because she really was good with potions. Then she accidentally added too much of something to some potion, and in the process of helping her, all his hair fell out. For some reason, he became rather aloof after that.  
  
"Ah, ol' Snape's not happy to see anyone. Don' let it get to yeh." Hagrid chuckled as they got to a horse-less carriage. He clicked his tongue and it jumped to life, scuttling up to the castle. Saffron watched with a smile as they neared.  
  
"You know, they say you can't go home again, but that's not quite true. I'm so happy to be here again!" She told him.  
  
"How were yer travels, anyway?" He asked.  
  
"Oh, fine, fine. Austria is lovely; I can't wait to go back. France was nice but Germany was a bit too cold for my liking. I didn't get to. to Russia." Her voice softened as she finished. As if picking up on something she didn't want to talk about, Hagrid cleared his throat.  
  
"So, D'yeh hear that Harry Potter goes to school this year? It'll be his fifth."  
  
"Oh, yes, I have heard! How wonderful. I've wanted to meet him. I went to Lily's wedding, you know. Oh, of course you do, you were there." She chuckled. "I can't believe it was all so long ago. They were so beautiful together. I missed Harry's birth, though." She got quiet again, looking up at the castle. "Feels like they'll be waiting for me, when I get up there. Lily and I weren't the best of friends, but I always thought of her as an older sister."  
  
"Tha's right, she was about three years older 'n you, wa'n't she?"  
  
"Yep. Three years. just like James, Sirius and Severus. I mean, Professor Snape!" Her face fell into a thoughtful one. "What am I supposed to call him now? Severus? Profess Snape?" She shrugged. "Suppose I'll find out soon enough."  
  
* * *  
  
Severus Snape paced around his small office. She was coming today. Today. In fact, any minute. Her. Saffron Cale, the only student to ever make a fool of him in front of his students. Her. He remembered quite clearly, the sensation of a cooling head, of his hair falling lightly around his face to the floor, the laughter of his students and the embarrassment. Oh, the girl apologized more than enough. He supposed she actually meant it, too. But it took him years to recover from that. And now she was going to be studying under him again, this time to possibly take over his position.  
  
He stopped in mid-step and snorted. He hadn't been able to train as a teacher, but she will. Would they give her his job as soon as she was ready? Perhaps they had run out of Defense of the Dark Arts teachers and needed him. Finally. Perhaps he was training her for that very reason. so they would have a decent Potions teacher should he take over the other job. His heart actually jumped a bit at the thought. Then her heard it. Footsteps, light and probably feminine, headed down the hall. He squared his shoulders, fixed his cloak and glared at the door.  
  
"Um. Professor Snape?" A woman's voice said on the other side of the door. For a moment he stopped and was surprised. Then he remembered that she was no longer a teenager, but a woman only a few years younger them. How foolish to expect a young girl's voice. "Professor? It's me. Saffron Cale. May I come in?"  
  
"You may." He kept his voice level as she opened the door. Cautiously she stepped in, as if to expect him to throw something at her. Once safely inside, she relaxed a bit. He finally got a look at her.  
  
She hadn't changed much, he noticed, from the last time he saw her. Her dark hair was wavy and long. He noticed it was a bit browner than red now, and her eyes were lighter brown. She was still fairly short, her eyes coming up to his chin. Her robes here a dark red, and kept clean. Her face, however, was too nice. He never did quite figure out why she had been Slytherin.  
  
Saffron sighed inwardly as she saw him. Age hadn't been too nice to Snape, she thought, but he was still recognizable. He was still tall and pale, but wrinkles creased the corners of his mouth and eyes. His hair was back, blacker as night, and too his chin. His eyes were just as cold as ever, too.  
  
"So you're finally here." He voice was quiet, and she flinched inwardly. How were they to get along if he didn't warm up a bit?  
  
"Yes. The train doesn't run that often, you know, but Dumbledore commissioned it to this once. Lovely ride up here, really."  
  
"Have you been shown your quarters, Miss Cale?" His voice showed no interest in her personal life.  
  
"Yes. I'm situated in the teacher's wing, of course. You, um, don't have quarters there, do you?"  
  
"No." He said after a moment. "I moved my chambers to adjoin my classroom years ago."  
  
"Oh." She said quietly. "All right, then. Do you want me to come back tomorrow?" He glared at her, again. She started to feel uncomfortable.  
  
"Listen, Miss Cale. I haven't much to teach you, not really. I allow you to use my laboratories and classrooms to your own extent. I know you are here for more reasons than learning to be a teacher. Use them for your research, whatever it is you do, but do not get in my way. If I need your help during class I will call upon you. That is all." And for the first time since she entered the room, he turned away from her. Taking this as her cue to leave, she slipped out of the room into the hall.  
  
'How. how does he know? Did Dumbledore tell him?' Her mind raced at these new thoughts. 'I didn't want. I didn't want anyone to know!'  
  
* * *  
  
Saffron got up early the next morning, to show Snape that she was serious about this whole experience. If he hadn't lived next to his classrooms, she was probably gotten there before him. She certainly got there before he opened the doors. He was surprised to see her, but let her in without a word. The classroom looked the very same as it did when she left. The only real difference was that a section of the classroom had been set off to the side for her. He said nothing as she approached these, but she saw books piled next to neatly organized equipment.  
  
"I thought you might find those books useful in your studies." He said. A pang of sadness hit her heart when she saw they were all about antidotes. Chewing on her bottom lip, she sat down and started reading.  
  
Saffron was notorious for being a bookworm, Snape remembered. It explained how she didn't even notice that the students had entered the classroom until they had sat down. Of course, they were also very quiet. Students seemed to take his class serious, especially after his speeches at the beginning of the year. Most of the students were surprised to see the new woman sitting in the corner of the classroom, lost in her book.  
  
"Miss Cale." Snape said sharply. She looked up at his voice, and blinked. Were there children in there a few minutes ago? "Class. This is Miss Saffron Cale. She will be the Potion's assistant. You are not to bother her while she does her research. If you need help and I cannot react quickly enough, then you may go to her. That is all."  
  
Saffron smirked a little to herself. These poor kids, stuck in the dungeons with moody old Snape. This would be an interesting year.  
  
* * *  
  
Saffron had been working at the side of the classroom for some time, right next to all the potions Snape had prepared for class. She noticed that most of them were status-changing potions, but she couldn't quite figure out what he was going to be teaching. Surely he wouldn't poison one of the students? She shrugged it off and started working on her truth serum. It had been incredibly kind of Dumbledore to convince Snape that an assistant could be helpful, but he never called upon her. So she used this time to do research on her own ideas.  
  
  
  
It was doing research that caused part of the problem that day. She'd had her nose stuck in a book during his class with Slytherin and Griffindor. She only caught movement out of the corner of her eye, only heard his voice droning on a little, but didn't pay much attention. Until her hand went to grasp the vial she'd been working on, to discover it gone. She whipped her head around in time to see the Professor add a drop of snake's tears to her vial. She jumped up and dashed for him, but it was too late. He'd tipped the vial back and was drinking its contents when she knocked it out of his hand. He had a surprised look on his face when she did that, and suddenly fell unconscious as the potion hit his stomach.  
  
Saffron paused for a second, stunned to see Snape knocked out, standing over his body. The class was dead silent. She stared at him for a second, and then turned to the class with a big, nervous smile.  
  
"And that, children, is why you always look before you drink." She announced.  
  
"Um. Is he all right?" Malfoy asked, standing up to see. Saffron whipped her cloak out to block Snape from the class.  
  
"He'll be fine." She snapped at him. He hesitantly sat back down. She twirled around and kneeled next to Snape. "Severus! Severus!" She hissed. "Wake up this instant!! Honestly!" She groaned, shaking his shoulders. "You should know better, you fool!" He muttered a bit, and his hand went up to wrap around her wrist. She kept shaking him until his eyes opened, looking straight into hers.  
  
"Miss Cale?" He asked groggily. "What happened?"  
  
"Do you know who you are?" She asked, rocking back on her heels.  
  
"Severus Snape..."  
  
"Do you know where you are?"  
  
He looked around. "Hogwarts." He had a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Do you know what you're supposed to be doing?"  
  
"I'm supposed to be... teaching!" He sat up quickly, and then grasped his head. "Aaggh! What happened?" His eyes were shut, and his teeth clenched.  
  
"You added snake's tears to my truth serum and drank it, you old fool." She whispered. She didn't doubt the class could hear her a bit, but they themselves were whispering amongst themselves.  
  
"Cancel class." He gasped. She looked taken back, and he repeated it. With a shrug she stood up.  
  
"Okay, kids, class is over for today. Return to your common rooms, or go on to your next classes. We'll pick up next time with today's lesson. Yes, that's all--get out of here." For all her kindness she showed the students, she was also known to be a bit short with them. Most of the Slytherins looked appalled and worried, while the Griffindors were trying not to laugh. When the last student left, she turned around to find Snape pulling himself up. She lent him a hand and he leaned on her as they walked.  
  
"What was that I drank...?" He groaned. She pulled a chair out for him. "It was supposed to be an aging potion... the snake's tears would be the last-- "  
  
"Snake's tears to a truth serum, I said!" She snapped. He rubbed his temples. "You should be happy! You didn't turn into anything like a frog or a giant snake." She shook her head.  
  
"I do not need to be scolded by one of my own students." He snarled at her. She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"I haven't been your student in five years, you old fool."  
  
"Stop calling me an old fool, you little git." He hissed back at her. Quickly she looked at him, snarling just the same at him.  
  
"All right, listen to me, Snape." She spat out his name. "I know you don't like me being here, but we both know this is the best place to study in England. My talents would go to waste if I didn't study under you!" She hissed back at him. His scowl didn't change as he suddenly leaned forward and kissed her. Saffron was so surprised she didn't do anything, not until he reached up and cupped her face. She put her hand over his for the rest of the kiss, but when he pulled away, she got her sense back. A stinging slap seemed to wake him up a bit. "Severus! What the HELL was that for?"  
  
"I don't know!" He cried, looking frustrated. "I've just felt like doing it ever since I woke up!" Before either could respond, he'd sprung to his feet and had her in an embrace, kissing her again. She only struggled a little bit, until they head another gasp. They dashed apart, Saffron suddenly with her nose in her book again, and Snape gathering the vial he had dropped. He looked up at the intruder. "Yes... Miss Granger?" He snarled.  
  
"I... I, uh, left my n-notes..." She whispered, wide-eyed. It was difficult to tell if she was about to laugh or bolt for the door.  
  
"Well, go ahead and take them, dear." Saffron said cheerily. "We're just figuring out what Professor Snape drank. Don't worry; one can't be a potions teacher for so long without gaining some sort of resistance. Be on your way now. Do be a dear and not tell anyone what the Professor did-- drinking that without looking." Hermione nodded dumbly, and scrambled out. The classroom was silent for a few minutes. Saffron flipped through her book.  
  
"Achem." Snape cleared his throat. "I would like to apologize--"  
  
"Here it is!" She cried, interrupting him. He scowled but walked over to her.  
  
"Here what is?" He asked.  
  
"When you add snake's tear to the spider's legs already in a truth serum, it turns it into a variation of a.. of a... " She paled. "Love potion."  
  
"Nonsense. I've gained an immunity to love potions years ago." He snarled.  
  
"Doesn't seem like it really worked, now does it?" She muttered, suddenly blushing.  
  
"Well, how do we get rid of it? I suppose I ought to brew up an antidote."  
  
"C'mon, you know as well as I do that there aren't antidotes to love potions. And I'm not about to let you brew a hate potion so it'll cancel the effects! We don't get along enough as it is!" She snapped at him.  
  
"Well then, what do you propose we do?"  
  
"Wait it out?" She asked weakly.  
  
"Wait it out?" He echoed. "Wait it out? That's your brilliant idea? No wonder you couldn't save that poor man who depended on you-" He halted at her gasp. Instead of a confused look, she was mad.  
  
"You. Be. Quiet." She hissed at him. This wasn't an annoyed anger; this was real anger. He knew before she said any more that he'd tread upon a topic he'd best not have. Her lower lip trembled as she stalked past him and out the classroom door, slamming it behind her. He was left alone, haunted by the feel of those lips and her body in his arms.  
  
'Something is not right here.' He thought with a scowl.  
  
* * *  
  
At the end of that school day he found his way to her chambers. Some of the other professors were surprised and rather shocked to see the Potions Master wandering down the halls. It'd been a long, long time since he walked through them. He stopped in front of her, listening to see if she was in there. He could hear someone moving around, and assumed it was she. After knocking on her door, he called her name.  
  
"What do you want?" Her muffled reply came.  
  
"I want to see if you're all right." He said quietly, trying not to be heard by the others.  
  
"What?" She asked, opening her door a crack. "You'd just hate if they thought you were kind of human underneath it all, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Let me in." He said crossly and forced his way into her chambers. They were fairly small for Hogwarts', but he knew that she'd get bigger ones the longer she stayed. She was in her nightgown already, with a shawl draped over her shoulders. Her face was red and puffy. like she'd been crying. "Miss Cale-" he started.  
  
"Nothing to say, Snape." She said quietly.  
  
"I like it when you call me Severus." He replied just as quietly, before he could realize just what he was saying. He shook his head. "I mean, Miss Cale-"  
  
"Oh, for the love of.! Call me Saffron." She sighed. "Or is that too familiar to you?"  
  
"Saffron." He whispered. He was doing it again, but something inside him didn't want to stop. "Enchanting spice of satisfaction, trapping the senses with your organic spell and leaving one hopelessly enthralled." His mouth moved, his heart said yes but his brain was confused. Why was he saying such things to this woman? Before the thought rationalized, he found himself stepping forward to embrace her. She stepped back and brandished a book at him.  
  
"Back off, Severus." She said quietly. "We both know you're under the influence of a potion. You don't want to do anything you might regret." To back up her words, she swung at him a bit. He laughed, startling her.  
  
"Beautiful woman, I would do nothing to harm you." A smile played at his lips-until he regained his senses. He snarled and backed away from her, too. "What am I doing?" He groaned. "Acting like a lovesick fool." He answered his own question. "I don't know why I came to see you. It's like... I couldn't stay away. Oh, bloody hell, it's starting again. If you'll pardon me, Miss Cale, I shall excuse myself." She looked relieved as he left, and he paused outside of the door. 'This potion... there's got to be an antidote!'  
  
* * *  
  
More weeks passed, and the potion only seemed to get worse. Snape found it more and more difficult to keep away from Saffron. For a little while, he kept it to small things, like calling her to help him. He'd get physically as close to her as he could, touching her hand when it was all right, and only occasionally touching her shoulder. Nothing much, nothing to make the students think anything was wrong. To them, he was still as cold as ice. To her, he was dying to kiss her every other minute.  
  
Not that this was all fun and games to him, mind you. One hour he was prowling through his classroom, snapping at someone for putting just a gram of ingredients off, and sulking about his predicament. The next hour he couldn't keep his mind off of her, couldn't stop glancing at her. It wasn't so bad when they were separated, which were often. As soon as class ended for the day, she'd rush out the door and to the library. Rarely did she stay after, only if he asked her to. Then she'd had to deal with various mishaps, from tender stares to sudden embraces. She never let him kiss her unless she was caught off guard.  
  
It wasn't too easy on her, either. She knew she was at the age that most of her friends were married or getting there or perhaps even had children. And with her own past. Saffron wasn't having a good time with this. Her feelings were like a roller coaster, up and down, with dizzying heights and frightful plunges. A part of her liked this new Snape, but another feared it. After all, it was just the potion working.  
  
* * *  
  
When Christmas came around, she had no other place to visit so she stayed at Hogwarts. She wasn't the only one this year. Half of the teachers and almost a fifth of the students stayed behind, and Dumbledore helped arrange a large party for them. It started early in the evening. After pulling a wizard cracker with the Muggle Study professor, she received a lovely yellow princess's hat with kind of clashed with her dark red robes.  
  
"Miss Cale, would you care for this dance?" Professor Vector of Arthimancy asked her. She smiled at the young man (only a few years younger, she noted) and gave him her hand. He was bowing and kissed it softly, smiling at her. She had not one thought in her mind about Snape.  
  
Professor Vector led her out into the great room's floor, amidst the few students dancing to magically produced music. They bowed to each other, and started into the traditional steps the others were following for a full song. It was quite the sight. Some of the steps were magical, so when combined with the music, even most left-footed dancer would get it all correct. When that song ended, another began and Saffron kept dancing with Vector. That is, until halfway through the song, she twirled away from him and back into the arms of another. Snape had jealously taken Vector's place, replacing him in the dance and leaving the poor man on the sidelines with an open mouth. Snape held Saffron in his arms, sweeping her robes in circles and staring into her eyes. Once again her heart started to pound as he looked into her eyes, and she was only too happy to twirl away from his gaze when the song required. She came back to find herself face-to-face with Vector again, leaving a befuddled Snape behind. However, it wasn't long before Snape cut in again, not waiting for her to leave her partner's hands. Soon a dancing duel started and poor Saffron was caught in the middle. Every time she tried to escape, one of them pulled her back into the dance. She was no longer flattered by Vector's attentions and was concerned that Snape was going to make a spectacle of him. Students were watching in bewilderment and amusement, and starting to laugh. Finally, when the song ended, Saffron broke free and ran to Hagrid.  
  
"Hagrid!" She cried. "Dance with me!" She pulled at his hands, and he uncomfortably shooed her off. Putting on a fake smile, she pleaded. "Just like the old days, when I was a student?" She asked. He shook his head but stood up, leading her to the dance floor.  
  
"Why, I rem'mber when yer was so little yeh stood on my feet to dance." Hagrid chuckled, and the students who heard him laughed. Saffron was still little enough to stand on his feet and dance-most people were.  
  
'Thank goodness! If I dance with Hagrid, none of those idiots will try anything!' She thought. The two danced for three more songs, until she plead worn-out and left for her room. She noticed, quickly, that she was being followed. Instead of heading towards her chambers, she sidetracked to an empty balcony.  
  
"Severus." She said sternly as he stepped out behind her. She didn't turn to look at him, but kept her gaze out at the castle. The stars above were bright in the clear sky, and it was getting chilly. She shivered only the slightest, but quickly felt his warm cloak around her. With a sigh she shook her head. "Severus, this can't go on. You just made a fool of yourself in front of students and teachers alike. This must end."  
  
"I'm touched." His voice was deep and she discovered he was only a few inches from her ear. Her body shivered at his presence. "You care for my horrible reputation?"  
  
"I ruined it once before, I wouldn't like to be the cause again." She said.  
  
"That was a long time. This is different." He slipped his hand around her waist. She shivered again. "Cold, dear?"  
  
"No. not cold. Just." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Nervous. We have to find a way to stop this!"  
  
"You're telling me." Snape's old, logical voice was back, yet he did not move his hand.  
  
"Perhaps. Perhaps if you." She stuttered with her words. "Um, if we-"  
  
"Consummated this desire?" He finished. She nodded dumbly. "Don't think that the idea has not passed through my mind." She shivered again. It was getting to a point when she wouldn't mind. "Do you really think it will work?"  
  
"I think it'd be worth a try." She said softly.  
  
"But what do you want?" He whispered, turning her around to look him in the eyes. He trapped her against the balcony, his arms gripping the railing behind her.  
  
"Severus." Her voice low, sultry. "I want you." The words were barely out of her mouth when he covered hers with his.  
  
"Don't tease me, little one." He murmured against her lips. "Don't dangle a dream in front of me and then take it away."  
  
"Never." She whispered, hesitantly placing her hands against his chest. "I would never..." He covered that hand against his chest with his own hand and kissed her again.  
  
"Then follow me."  
  
So, quietly and quickly that Filch never even noticed them, the two escaped to the dungeons. He led her swiftly down to the classroom, unlocking with fumbling hands. She swept in past him, growing more nervous by the second, and watched him scramble to lock the door again. Finally he turned to her, looking her from head to toe. She was leaning against one of the desks, shoulders back and chin up. Blood surged through his body, singing for him to take her then and there.  
  
Snape swept forward, seizing her in his arms, and bending her back with a kiss.  
  
* * *  
  
"Is it true, Hermione?" Ron whispered as the three friends headed to Potions. "Snape and Cale are. you know."  
  
"In love?" She sighed. "I guess so."  
  
"I think we'd better get our minds on more important things." Harry whispered as they neared the door. "You know Snape hates it when we don't pay attention." Hesitantly they pushed open the door.  
  
Bright sunlight flooded into their eyes, sending them all blinking. Snape had opened the windows? Here? After it wore off, they looked around. The floor had been scrubbed. The desks were cleaned, the chairs were dusted, the windows were polished. and Snape was smiling in front of the class. Saffron stood to his right, just reaching his shoulder.  
  
"Good day, class." Snape said, still smiling. "We'll be covering some interesting new subjects today. Everyone, please partner off with whomever you wish. We'll be dealing with Cheering Potions today, for those who couldn't quite grasp the charm correctly."  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron shivered.  
  
"Is it just me, or has he swallowed a whole liter of it?" Ron whispered. "'Cos it's making me nervous."  
  
The other two nodded.  
  
The End 


End file.
